Examining the Good and Bad Through Purdue's First 4 Games
In this story:
The bye week has arrived in West Lafayette. Four games into the Barry Odom era, Purdue gets a chance to rest and recover after a 2-2 start, which includes back-to-back losses to USC and Notre Dame.
What is there to like about Purdue's first four games? Where do the Boilermakers need to improve coming out of the bye week? Let's examine the good and the bad from the first third of the 2025 season.
The Good
Playmakers are emerging
Purdue has lacked playmakers in the passing game over the last two seasons. That hasn't been the case this season, with four different receivers over 100 receiving yards for the season. Plus, running back Devin Mockobee has also eclipsed the century mark in receiving yards.
Nitro Tuggle has really started to flash in recent weeks, and has 189 yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches. Michael Jackson III has been consistent all year with 211 yards and a score on 18 receptions. The Boilermakers have also hit on big plays with Arhmad Branch and EJ Horton Jr. this season.
Quarterback Ryan Browne has a lot of weapons to get the ball to this season. It's a nice change of pace from what we've seen the last two years.
Special teams play
Really, Purdue's special teams has made one major mistake through the first four weeks. The Boilermakers surrendered a touchdown on a kickoff in Saturday's loss to Notre Dame. Otherwise, James Shibest's unit has performed extremely well.
Punter Jack McCallister has punted 11 times this season, averaging 49.1 yards per punt and pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line five times. His punting average currently ranks second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.
Kicker Spener Porath has been automatic for the Boilermakers this season, making all seven field goal attempts and is a perfect 13-of-13 on PAT tries. Without a doubt, special teams play has become a significant strength for the Boilermakers.
Fun offensive play-calling
Offensive coordinator Josh Henson hasn't been afraid to dive into the playbook and pull out trick plays. The Boilermakers don't have to incorporate those into the game plan, but Purdue fans certainly love the fun and aggressive nature of those calls.
Purdue got lucky with one of those calls in the Sept. 13 game against USC. Browne turned a double-lateral disaster into a touchdown, picking up a fumble and racing 35 yards for an unorthodox score.
In last week's loss to Notre Dame, Henson dialed up a halfback pass from Mockobee to Browne that worked to perfection and resulted in an early touchdown for the Boilermakers.
Plays like that prove that this staff isn't afraid to take risks, regardless of opponent.
Resiliency
The most important thing Odom needed to prove to fans this year is that his teams will fight until the end, regardless of score. Through four games, the Boilermakers have done that. It has been especially evident the last two weeks in losses to USC and Notre Dame.
Purdue clawed back from a 20-3 deficit to USC and gave itself a chance to threaten the Trojans in the fourth quarter. Despite trailing Notre Dame 35-16 in the first half after giving up a 100-yard kickoff return to Jadarian Price, the Boilermakers marched back down the field and scored a touchdown to slice into the Fighting Irish lead.
Even when things got out of hand in South Bend, Odom's team never quit. That's a major improvement from last season and a big step in the right direction.
The Bad
Secondary struggles
It's no secret that Purdue's secondary has really struggled through the first four games this season. The Boilermakers rank 14th in the Big Ten in pass defense, allowing 213 yards per game through the air. But that's not the most troubling part.
Mike Scherer's defense has allowed opponents to connect on 14 pass plays of 20 yards or longer, more than any Big Ten defense this season. That problem is magnified by the fact that the Boilermakers have not yet recorded an interception.
Simply put, Purdue is giving up too many big plays through the air. It's something the defensive unit must fix during the bye week.
Establishing the run
There's only been one game in which Purdue's run game was a strength. The Boilermakers rushed for 214 yards on 53 carries in a 34-17 win over Southern Illinois in Week 2. Mockobee accounted for a large chunk of that production, accounting for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.
Purdue has been held to under 100 yards on the ground in its other three games this season. In losses to USC and Notre Dame, the Boilermakers have averaged 2.1 yards per carry on 56 attempts.
The Boilers don't have to be the best rushing team in the Big Ten, but it needs to be a factor. So far, it really hasn't been a weapon for Henson's offense.
3rd- and 4th-down defense
Getting off the field in third- and fourth-down situations has been another issue for Purdue's defense this season. Opponents are converting on those downs 43.8% of the time, one of the lowest averages in the conference.
At one point in last week's game, Notre Dame was a perfect five-of-five on its third-down attempts. Purdue has to do a better job of rewarding itself on those pivotal downs.
Lack of takeaways
Through four games, Purdue has forced only one turnover, and it came in the first half of Saturday's loss to Notre Dame. Myles Slusher sacked quarterback CJ Carr, the ball popped loose, and the Boilermakers were able to recover it.
That's it. That's the only extra opportunity Purdue's defense has been able to create. In the Big Ten, you have to be a little more opportunistic and give your offense more chances to score.
Purdue is one of just eight teams that have one or fewer takeaways during the 2025 season. That number has to be higher, especially for a defense that has been susceptible to explosive plays.
Related stories on Purdue football
PURDUE-ILLINOIS KICKOFF TIME ANNOUNCED: A kickoff time and television information has been released for Purdue's Week 6 rivalry game against Illinois. The Boilermakers host the Illini on Oct. 4. CLICK HERE
HOW THE AP POLL IMPACTS PURDUE: Purdue may not be ranked in the Week 5 Associated Press poll, but the latest rankings certainly impact the Boilermakers. CLICK HERE
BURHENN SUSTAINS INJURY VS. NOTRE DAME: George Burhenn's career has been hindered by injuries. The Purdue tight end sustained another one in Saturday's game against Notre Dame, coach Barry Odom said. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
Follow SchutteDustin